Method for Checking Electronic Tickets Stored on User Terminals

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a method for checking electronic tickets which are assigned to user terminals and are preferably used within a system for automatically detecting the utilization of chargeable means of transport conveying persons and/or deducting the fare. According to said method, a verification data telegram is transmitted while user terminals that receive the verification data telegram optically and/or acoustically output signals which represent the validity of the electronic ticket.

Method for checking electronic tickets stored on user terminals Thepresent invention relates to a method for checking electronic ticketswhich are allocated to user terminals, in particular electronic ticketswhich are preferably used within a system for automatically detectingthe use of chargeable means of transport conveying persons and/ordeducting the fare.

In the following, the term “ticket” comprises as generic term ridingpermits of all kinds, such as for example short trip, single ride, daytickets, monthly season tickets and yearly season tickets or the like,entitlements of all kinds, such as for example reductions for children,groups, disabled persons or the like, extra charges of all kinds, suchas for example a ride in the first class, taking along a pet or thelike.

Hitherto, the use of chargeable means of transport, in particular ofpublic passenger traffic, has been mainly realised by using ticketsprinted on paper. For the control of such tickets, the user shows themto a controller who can verify by simply regarding the ticket whetherthey are valid for the distance being traveled.

Since tickets printed on paper are relatively complicated to handle andcan be relatively easily falsified, there have been different attemptsin the state of the art for several years to replace the ticket on paperby a so called “electronic ticket”, i.e. by a ticket stored on a memorymedium. These developments enable an automatic determination anddeduction of the fare, wherein some examples will be disclosed in thefollowing:

From PCT application NL01/00215 a method is for example known, in whichthe passenger uses a mobile apparatus (for example a mobile phone or atransponder) with a number allocated to him, in order to beautomatically identified when he is in a means of transport of thepublic short-distance traffic. The vehicle automatically registers wherethe passenger gets into the vehicle and where he leaves the vehicle.Usually, these data are transmitted to a background system thatdetermines the fare for the traveled distance on the base of these data.Such systems are often called “be-in/be-out” systems.

From DE 199 57 660 another method for deducting the fare for the use ofpublic transport means is known, in which is a cheque card-like memorythat is carried along by the user is charged with a credit. During theuse of public transport means, the transport means emits counting pulsesand for each received counting pulse a pre-determined amount is deductedfrom the credit that is memorized on the memory unit.

From Switzerland a pilot project called “easyride” is known, in whichthe customer carries along a transponder card which registers him in thevehicle when he uses a vehicle and which repeats this registrationregularly.

In order to be able to control the electronic ticket that is allocatedto a user terminal and that is used in the above described automaticmethods of determination and accounting of any kind, special controlapparatuses have been developed that are carried along by thecontrollers. These control apparatuses are adapted for reading outelectronic tickets in a contacting or contactless manner from thecorresponding user terminals, in order to verify their validity. Herein,it is a drawback that the control normally consumes more time due to thereading out operation than for paper tickets.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method thatenables a quick and simple control of the ticket validity of anelectronic ticket that is allocated to a user terminal.

This aim is achieved according to the invention by a method according toclaim 1. The dependent claims refer to individual embodiments of thepresent invention.

By means of the method according to the invention electronic tickets canbe controlled. The user terminals can be principally any terminals thatare adapted in such a manner that an electronic ticket can be allocatedto these ones and that they can at least receive signals, such as forexample correspondingly adapted transponder cards, mobile phones,handhelds or the like. The exact way of determination and deduction ofthe fare is of secondary importance with respect to the method accordingto the invention and shall therefore not be explained in detail in thefollowing. However, it is to be noted that principally each method ofdetermination and deduction of a fare can be used, such as for exampleone of the initially described methods.

For controlling the electronic tickets allocated to the user terminals,a verification data telegram/code is emitted according to the invention,wherein user terminals that receive the verification data telegramoptically and/or acoustically emit signals which represent the validityof the electronic ticket, wherein these validity signals are preferablycontained in the verification data telegram. These validity signals canthen be easily checked by a controller. If the terminal has a display,the signal that represents the validity of the electronic ticket can befor example an optical validity signal, in particular a validity code,such as for example a number code, a symbol code, a colour code or thelike that is known to the controller and the correctness of which he canverify by a simple visual verification without a separate controlapparatus being required for this. This validity code is advantageouslychanged regularly, such that a manipulation of the control methodaccording to the invention becomes difficult. Furthermore, the validitycode can also contain time data with or without date. In this way it canbe avoided that validity codes can be registered and again be emitted.For the comparison of the time data, a processing unit that isintegrated in the user terminal can carry out a timing that is adjustedby the time data contained in the verification data telegram. Instead ofor in addition to time data, also a running number can be contained thatalso enables to exclude already received validity codes having smallernumbers from the processing.

Of course, also other control mechanisms that are initialised by theemission of a special verification data telegram can be used withoutdeparting from the base aspect of this invention.

If the user terminal has for example no display, also an acousticvalidity signal can be emitted by the user terminal, such as for examplea special sound sequence that is known to the controller and that canalso be regularly varied, in order to prevent a circumvention of thecontrol system according to the invention, wherein the acoustic validitysignal is preferably transmitted together with the verification datatelegram to the user terminal. A separate control apparatus is neitherrequired here.

Alternatively, the validity signal received with the verification datatelegram can also be transmitted from the user terminal to a controlapparatus that is carried along by the controller. In this varianthowever, the user terminal must be adapted for emitting signals or data.

User terminals that are not switched on at the moment of the emission ofthe verification data telegram, do not receive this one, such that thesignals that represent the validity of the electronic ticket cannot beemitted by such user terminals. If thus a user terminal does not emit asignal that represents the validity of the electronic ticket, it can atfirst be assumed that the corresponding user uses the means of transportwithout a valid ticket.

The emitted verification data telegrams are preferably only transmittedto such user terminals that have previously already received and/ortransmitted account relevant signals. Thus, it shall be assured thatonly such user terminals receive the verification data telegrams forwhich the determination and/or deduction of the fare has alreadystarted. If for example a user switches his user terminal only on whenhe realises that a controller has just got in, his user terminal willnot emit a signal representing the validity of the electronic ticket,even if the user terminal was switched on before the emission of theverification data telegram, since the user terminal has not receivedand/or transmitted any account relevant signals so far. A deliberatedeception of the control method according to the invention is thus madedifficult.

Alternatively, the verification data telegrams are emitted to all userterminals, wherein only such user terminals emit a signal thatrepresents the validity of the electronic ticket which have alreadypreviously received and/or transmitted account relevant signals. Herein,the user terminal itself decides whether it will emit a validity signalor not.

The verification data telegrams are preferably emitted, ifpre-determined events happen and/or in pre-determined time intervals.Verification data telegrams can be for example emitted at each stop orshortly before or shortly after each stop, such that the user terminalalways indicates the validity of the electronic ticket stored on theuser terminal for the corresponding route section, which validity canthen be verified both by the user himself and by a controller.Alternatively, verification data telegrams can also be emitted only if acontrol shall really be carried out by a controller.

If a controller doubts the authenticity of a validity signal emitted bya user terminal, this one can preferably be verified in detail by meansof a corresponding control apparatus that is carried along by thecontroller by for example reading out and verifying the account relevantdata that are stored on the user terminal.

Each of the mentioned single characteristics can be protected by itselfand independently from the others.

In the following, the method according to the invention for checkingelectronic tickets which are stored on user terminals will be explainedby means of two exemplary embodiments.

In a first embodiment of the method according to the invention, the fareis determined and deducted by means of a method that is similar to themethod described in the PCT application NL01/00215. Herein, a userterminal regularly emits a user terminal identification by means ofwhich a computer unit arranged in the means of transport that receivesthis user terminal identification registers where the passenger getsinto the means of transport and where he leaves it again. The data arethen transmitted to a background system that will determine the fare forthe distance to be traveled based upon these data and will then deductthis one for example from a credit allocated to the user terminalidentification.

If the electronic tickets of the users using a means of transport shallbe controlled by a controller, a corresponding device will transmit averification data telegram to such user terminals the user terminalidentification of which is stored in the computer unit. Together withthe verification data telegram, a validity code in form of a number codeis transmitted that is automatically output via a display of therespective user terminals. This validity code known to the controllercan now be easily detected and verified by the controller by reading thedisplay.

In a second embodiment of the method according to the invention, abe-in/be-out system for determining and deducting the fare is used, inwhich user terminals that are switched on and are within thetransmission range of a transmitter placed in a means of transportreceive account relevant data emitted in pre-determined time intervalsby the transmitter, on the base of which data credits that are stored onthe corresponding user terminals which serve as electronic tickets aresuccessively reduced in dependence on the traveled distances.

If the tickets shall now be controlled, a corresponding device that isplaced inside the means of transport or carried along by the controlleremits a verification data telegram that is received by the switched onuser terminals that are present inside the means of transport. Thevalidity code annexed to the verification data telegram is automaticallydisplayed on the displays of the user terminals and can be easilyverified by the controller, as in the previous exemplary embodiment.

But the validity code will only be displayed on the display of a userterminal, if the user terminal has already previously received accountrelevant data from the transmitter arranged inside the means oftransport. In this way it shall be excluded that a user only switcheshis user terminal on, when he suspects a controller having just got intothe vehicle, but still in time such that his user terminal receives theverification data telegram and a validity code appears on the display.

By means of the above described embodiments it should be clear that thecontrol method according to the invention can be carried out independentfrom the fact whether the ticket allocated to the user terminal isstored on the user terminal or in a background system.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the above described embodimentsonly serve as examples and are not at all limiting. Modifications andvariations are rather possible without departing from the scope ofprotection of the present invention that is defined by the annexedclaims.

1. A method for checking electronic tickets which are allocated to userterminals which are preferably used within a system for automaticallydetecting the use of chargeable means of transport for conveying personsand/or for deducting the fare, wherein a verification data telegram isemitted, wherein use terminals that receive the verification datatelegram optically and/or acoustically emit signals which represent thevalidity of the electronic ticket.
 2. The method according to claim 1,wherein the validity signal that is output by the user terminal istransmitted to the user terminal together with the verification datatelegram.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein verification datatelegrams are emitted when pre-determined events happen and/or inpre-determined time intervals.
 4. The method according to claim 1,wherein a verification data telegram is only transmitted to such userterminals that have already received and/or transmitted account relevantsignals before the receipt of the verification data telegrams.
 5. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein only such user terminals emit asignal that represents the validity of the electronic ticket which havealready received and/or transmitted account relevant signals before thereceipt of the verification data telegrams.
 6. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the signals that represent the validity of theelectronic ticket comprise a validity code.
 7. The method according toclaim 6, wherein the validity code is varied.
 8. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the signal is output via a display on the userterminal.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signals thatrepresent the validity of the electronic ticket can be verified by meansof a control device.
 10. The method according to claim 2, whereinverification data telegrams are emitted when pre-determined eventshappen and/or in pre-determined time intervals.